


A Precarious Campaign

by ganaganah



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst and Humor, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fanfiction Comedy (MICF), Fluff and Angst, Gen, Humor, M/M, Sexual Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-11
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-01 01:13:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2754053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ganaganah/pseuds/ganaganah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eka Lavellan, (pronounced Ee-ka) sets out on a routine trip to seal a breach. Dorian and Solas argue often, the fight doesn't go as planned, Eka is shaken up, and Solas learns a lesson about trust.  They make it home safely, and Eka plans a party at the tavern.  Fun is had, alcohol is consumed, and companions discover more about themselves and each other.      </p><p>*This is an attempt at filling in some of the blanks between missions and adding some notable new ones.  It is a work in progress :)</p><p>*All characters are based off of Bioware's Dragon Age video game series.*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Journey to the Breach

**Author's Note:**

> I'm new to fan fiction and would appreciate any constructive criticism that you might have.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the group sets out to seal a breach near Halamshiral, Solas is caught daydreaming by Dorian. The two argue for much of the trip.

The Inquisition ensemble had only been home from the ball for a day when news reached Skyhold that a new rift had been discovered about an hour west of Halamshiral. Of course there were other important things to do, but given the newness of the Inquisition's alliance with Empress Celine, inquisitor Eka Lavellen decided that this breach should be the top priority for her team. After a brief meeting with her advisors, it was decided that Cullen and some of his soldiers would be dispatched to the Hinterlands to help squelch the last of the templar/mage rebellion in the area and to recruit anybody who he thought would fit the Inquisition. Iron Bull and his chargers stayed back at Skyhold to keep order in case anything happened in Cullen's absence. A separate team of Blackwall, Sera, Cole, and Varric would set out for the same area as Cullen to clear out what remained of the red lyrium deposits. 

After having less than a full day's respite, Eka set out with her chosen team of Cassandra, Dorian, and Solas. Having just returned from pretty much the same location, the evening spent at Halamshiral was still fresh on everybody's mind. As is the usual case, Dorian was the first to break the silence. “That night at Halamshiral has got to be one the best moments in my entire life. With all of the murder, betrayal, deception, and sex that was in the air, you somehow saw all of the angles, watched as they set themselves up like dominoes, and just at the right moment, a simple flick of your little finger and they all crumbled, the entire Orlesian empire bending to your will. It was marvelous, and I must admit that I could barely contain myself upon witnessing the whole thing. I also might add that you looked absolutely stunning in that dress, honey. It was like you owned the place.” 

Upon hearing these compliments, Eka smiled and thanked her friends as a blush appeared on her face that was made more noticeable by the chill of the brisk winter air. Eka was used to attention resulting from the eerie green glow emanating from her left hand but not the sort of attention that she had received at the ball. 

She remembered feeling quite uncomfortable and out of her element because everything she did was under the gaze of so many prying eyes. “I honestly would not have been able to do anything without Josephine's instruction,” Eka responded. “She spent hours teaching me every nuance, and I was terrified that I would give the wrong hand motion and accidentally start a feud with some noble family for hundreds of years or some other terrible calamity. I guess I got really lucky at Halamshiral,” she said with a smile. “You get lucky often enough for it not to be coincidence,” responded Cassandra bluntly. 

Solas remained quiet - a huge grin and blank stare on his face. He was mesmerized in thought, reflecting on that night out on the balcony under the glimmer of the stars. She truly was a beautiful sight to behold, his vhenan, but it wasn't just that red silk dress wrapped around her limber body, or her deep blue eyes, wells in which he felt he could be lost for eternity. While he no doubt found her beautiful physically, there was something about her extraordinarily rare spirit that made his heart flutter. She had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and a natural aptitude for magic that would have almost rivaled his own, given the time to develop. 

No matter how hard he fought against it, he could not resist his feelings for her. How could he? It was as if she was put into this world just for him, and against impossible odds they had somehow crossed paths. He could spend several lifetimes looking and not find another woman who could garner his attention in the meaningful way that she had. His time with her was limited, and he knew it, but to deny true love was a crime against nature. He acknowledged that he was just too weak to resist the full force of nature itself and surrendered himself to his feelings. If only he had a lifetime to spend with her. If only he hadn't made so many mistakes in the past. If only... 

“That grin is priceless. I think he might be drooling, perhaps thinking erotic thoughts about sexy fade ladies or maybe present company,” Dorian laughed, forcing a guilty Solas from his daydream. Eka blushed and quickly looked away, pretending not to hear any of it as Solas shot a menacing look over in the direction of Dorian, who was pretty amused with himself at catching Solas with that vacant expression and smile on his face. 

“I'm sorry Dorian. I cannot hear you over that menacingly loud outfit," Solas responded. "Speaking of which, I love that you make us a walking target for bandits and other miscreants wherever we go. It is like we are all wearing signs that say, 'come rob us. We have lots of money to spend on ridiculous things.'” Seemingly without effort, Dorian quickly retorted with, “This coming from Sir Hobo Rags. When they see you with us, they probably assume that the Inquisition keeps slaves.” “Tell me again the story about how you tripped over your own robes and electrocuted yourself two weeks ago,” countered Solas with a chuckle. “I tripped over a rock,” Dorian said defensively, retaliating with, “Vivienne told me that you managed to set yourself on fire. Care to share that story?” 

Solas didn't respond, and for a minute or two Dorian was fine with having the last word. He looked over at Solas, who was looking quite content at having derailed the conversation. Dorian immediately recognized that look and glanced back towards Solas, the smug grin returning to his face. “So what were you drooling over, Solas?” “I was not drooling,” sneered Solas. “Oh come on. I know that look, and you were thinking of something glorious.” Dorian gave him a quick wink that nobody else could have noticed. “It is not a topic for discussion,” responded Solas, who completely failed to hide the slight blush over his cheeks. Dorian laughed as he said, “You're obviously blushing in embarrassment, which confirms my original point about sexy ladies. “Dorian. Shut. Up,” replied a very irritated Solas. 

This aggressive banter happened far too often between these two, and Cassandra had had enough. “How about both of you shut up and stop arguing like petulant children. I'd like to have one trip without the two of you arguing about wasted magical energy, clothes, slaves, or drooling ladies.” 

“We weren't talking about drooling ladies. We were talking about Solas drooling over ladies,” snickered Dorian. Solas looked at Dorian with an assailing grimace. “You just never know when to shut your...” Solas didn't get the opportunity to finish his comment before he was cut off. 

“ENOUGH! Both of you! I don't care,” blared Cassandra back at the men, who both realized that they were acting rather childish. It was the first time they had heard such an intimidating and authoritative tone from Cassandra, and it was enough to quiet them both for the next two hours. Cassandra and Eka, riding in front of the two mages, began an interesting conversation about dragon slaying, seekers, and Cassandra's rather large family without further interruption.


	2. The Breach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is on edge as they plan the attack on the breach and try to execute it without people dying. There are complications....

As the group closed in on the reported location of the breach, Eka noticed that it was eerily quiet, a stillness that she had never encountered in all her time walking the earth. She looked back towards Solas and Dorian, a worried expression on her face. “Have you guys noticed how quiet it is? It's as if all of the birds have vanished from the skies, taking the mammals, insects, and even the wind with them.” 

Neither of the men said anything, perhaps out of fear of provoking Cassandra's ire once again. She was indeed correct, and Cassandra, in an attempt to rally her companions, announced, “I have yet to encounter a breach that we cannot seal,” as she looked at Eka, forcing a smile. Eka appreciated her bravado, though she noticed that Cassandra's eyes had betrayed her, giving away doubt. Eka still rewarded her attempt by smiling back obediently. 

Upon cresting the next hill, all was made clear. The enormous breach threatening the once peaceful sky stretched further than any breach they had yet encountered. That monstrous rip in the sky with illuminating and iridescent green patches shifting back and forth caused Eka to freeze dead in her tracks as if she were a halla caught in the gaze of an enormous predatory wolf whose murderous intent was made all too clear. 

Solas gently placed his left hand over her right hand, which was still clenching the reigns of her prized red hart. “Sahlin Darthen, emma lath.” “Now in this moment be alert, my love.” Eka snapped to attention, looked at Solas and nodded, her right hand interlacing her small digits between his. Dorian stepped gracefully off of his horse and proceeded to tie her up along a rather large outstretched branch. 

The land was sparsely forested with large pine trees dotting the area accompanied by thorny bushes and a plethora of short brownish-green grass. It was almost spring, and in a few months that grass would be a long and vibrant shade of green. Agreeing that this seemed to be the best place to tie up their mounts, the others quickly followed suit. Now all that was left to do was to form a solid and cohesive plan of attack. 

Solas volunteered for the quick reconnaissance work and announced that he would likely be back within thirty minutes. As he departed, Eka passed him several slivers of druffalo jerky in hopes that they might give him energy for the fight to come. She then passed some out to Cassandra and Dorian, who both promptly thanked her. She walked to her red hart to retrieve one of the large canteens of water from her bag before approaching the group. 

As she looked from Dorian to Cassandra, the tension in the air was palpable. Dorian was sitting cross-legged in the grass, his left middle finger rapidly tapping his left knee in alternating succession with his pointer finger to an unconscious rhythm as his right hand steadied the pieces of meat on which he was slowly gnawing. He was uncharacteristically quiet, and it made Eka even more apprehensive. As usual, largely due to the bulkiness of her armor, Cassandra remained standing. 

Usually it was Cassandra who rallied everybody and riled them up before a fight, but she was lost in an all too familiar vacant expression, her eyes not unlike Eka's minutes earlier as she gazed at the harrowing and impressive breach in the distance. It was disheartening seeing her companions like that, and Eka internally decided that despite her fears, she needed to motivate her team and get their spirits up. She sat next to Dorian and placed her hand over his shaking fingers, bracing the rest of his hand in hers. He said nothing but smiled back at her, thankful for the gesture that had once again grounded him in reality. She smiled up at Cassandra and said, “About that breach...” just in time for Solas to return to the makeshift camp. They all knew that it was late afternoon, and the group would have as little as three hours before nightfall.

“So what's the count,” asked Cassandra, who was promptly answered with, “two rage, three fear, and six lessers.” Dorian piped in with, “two rage AND three fear,” almost in disbelief. “I did not stutter,” scowled Solas, followed by a brief apology for being short-tempered with the Tevinter mage. “Alright, so what's the battle plan,” responded Dorian, rather timidly after the response to his last comment. 

The fear demons were the most dangerous and the most detested, as they were smarter than the other demons, manipulative, less predictable, and they had the ability to teleport with ease across seemingly large distances. The rage demons were larger than fear demons and took more than twice the amount of time to kill, but they were predictable, as they were the embodiment of an emotion driving them to blindly attack the closest living thing with as much force as possible until there was but one survivor. The lesser demons were much weaker than the other two in that they possessed a weak constitution and knew nothing other than simple attacks of scratching and biting. They were still dangerous when they attacked in unison, often known to overwhelm an unprepared target. 

The four discussed their options for nearly an hour. The general assumption was that the demons would originally attack Cassandra because they had a pattern of attacking with a pack mentality early in a fight. Her usual task was to purposely charge in first in order to attract the enmity of her attackers, which distracted them from the mages, who were much smaller, physically weaker, and adorned with less armor. 

Eka was a knight-enchanter and had mastered her spirit cloak, fade stepping and most fire spells and basic ice spells. She was well-suited for solo work because her abilities allowed her to generate her own barriers, so long as she had something to hit. There was some leeway in the fight where Eka would likely have to attack a few demons on her own because if Cassandra was too outnumbered, the fiends would quickly overwhelm and kill her. Solas was a rift mage who specialized in ice magic and barriers, which made his role crucial for their team's survival. Dorian's necromancy and lightning magic was extremely potent and would account for a significant amount of damage. For their plan to work, Solas needed to be relatively close to Dorian and Cassandra, as both of them would need the protection of his barriers, which could only be spread across a small area. Also, they needed some luck to be on their side. 

After seeing that the mounts had ample food and water, the four departed the makeshift camp and solemnly trudged through the grass towards the battlefield. Eka took the opportunity to look up at Cassandra, whose lustrous armor gleamed in the rays of the late afternoon sunlight. What little fear or doubt Cassandra had portrayed earlier was completely absent and instead replaced by perfect posture and a look of indomitable stoicism and bravery. Eka had seen this determined look on Cassandra many times and knew that she was not feigning confidence. It was in these moments of unwavering faith that Eka admired Cassandra the most and felt that she was at her finest. 

Finally they could see the position of each of the demons. Dorian looked up at his three companions, who didn't appear to be phased by the scene. He had his doubts but tried his best to keep them inside of him. With a short breath, he then looked up towards the expansive breach in the sky and secretly prayed that they would live to see the light of another day. 

One of the fear demons noticed the group's approach and let out a shrill, deafening shriek to alert the others. Eka had heard that shriek enough to hate it, and it made her shudder. Solas quickly put up barriers as Cassandra led the charge. Most of the demons descended on her in a frenzy. In an incredible stroke of luck, the smaller rage demon and one of the fear demons stayed away from the group, most likely patrolling the periphery for more potential trespassers. 

The first part of the plan worked out quite well. As Cassandra shielded her face from the scratching lesser demons, the barrage of spells from the fear demons, and raw brute force of the towering rage demon, the three mages quickly dispatched with five of the six lesser demons in a powerful display of fire, lightning, and ice which combined on the battlefield in a brilliant and nearly blinding array of color. 

As one of the lesser demons made its way towards the group's northern flank, Cassandra was left with the large rage demon and two of the fear demons eating away at what remained of her shields. Solas stopped temporarily to put up a protective energy barrier around the group of four, which enabled them to withstand the onslaught of new advances from their enemies. The three mages quickly took down both of the fear demons in the same manner that they had executed the lesser demons. 

At the same time Dorian and Solas started on Cassandra's larger rage demon, Eka noticed that the smaller rage demon, now at their southern flank, was approaching the group. A combination of careful fade stepping and running allowed her to travel thirty yards south of the group to battle this unwelcome assailant. The remaining fear demon took notice and teleported from the periphery to Eka's location to assist the rage demon in trying to devour her. Eka was used to getting hit like this and lashed out at the rage demon with her spirit blade while her shields completely soaked the spells coming from the fear demon. She knew they would hold. For every blow Eka's shield took, her spirit blade, spirit cloak, or a well-placed fire spell would increase her shield two-fold. Of course she couldn't take the large amount of hits or the big blows that Cassandra was capable of handling, but against her two current adversaries, Eka was doing just fine, and everything was going smoothly. 

If Cassandra noticed the rage demon's attention wavering, a full-bodied slam with her shield was usually enough to provoke it once again. Solas casted his ice mines and blizzards, which slowed the entity's movements quite effectively, while Dorian filled its body with various types of lightning bolts and static charges. Their magic working together in such harmony was quite a beautiful and spectacular sight to behold; however, before the rage demon was abolished, Solas noticed the last of the lesser demons loose towards the other end of the breach and opted to fade step twenty yards north to finish it off quickly before it could make its way back to the group or towards Eka. Right as he did this, Cassandra noticed that she had exhausted most of her resources and was in dire need of a new energy barrier. She called out to Solas, who was more than happy to oblige, having just blasted the last of the lesser demons into oblivion.

After slaying the rage demon, Eka readied an immolate spell to greet the angry fear demon, but to her horror, the devious entity teleported across the battlefield and reappeared right behind an unsuspecting Solas, who was still in the middle of casting his barrier on Cassandra. Eka's heart immediately sank deep into her chest and time seemed to stand still. In that brief instant, she knew that his barrier had dissipated and that a single shot from the fear demon would likely spell the end of her beloved Solas – the one whom she loved more than there were stars in the sky. 

In that sheer moment of panic, Eka closed her eyes and focused on Solas' location, the alarmed warning shouts from Cassandra and Dorian a cacophony of blurred voices in her head. When she opened her eyes she had seemingly teleported more than fifty yards and had arrived precisely at the point between the fear demon and Solas, right as it was baring down to strike him with all of it's force. Eka met the force of the demon's blow with a very weakened spirit blade and the last remainder of her shield, which just barely deflected the hit and sent her tumbling more than 5 yards backwards, head over heels. She knew that she was at her limit and wouldn't be able to cast anything in the imminent future. With a wide-eyed expression over what he had just turned to witness, Solas quickly put an ice mine under the fear demon. It promptly erupted, freezing the entity in place just long enough for Cassandra and Dorian to arrive and help finish it off. 

Exhausted, Eka sauntered towards the center of the breach and raised her left hand to seal it before any more demons could fall out of it. She allowed herself to fall back to the ground in an attempt to catch her breath as Dorian shouted, “Are you alright over there?” Eka nodded but stayed on the ground in a daze, a torrent of thoughts flooding her mind, and at the forefront an almost immobilizing terror at the realization of what she could have lost. Dorian ran up to her, grasped both of her hands, and pulled her up to her feet. As he embraced her in a huge bear hug, he gleefully exclaimed, “I absolutely cannot believe that we just survived that. Halamshiral is still my favorite memory, but this... THIS was amazing! I definitely owe you a drink when we get back to Skyhold, hun.” Eka forced a smile and wondered how Dorian could still have enough energy to display such exuberance. 

She was still lost in thought when Cassandra and Solas caught up to them. “Thank the maker we made it through that one intact,” sighed Cassandra, who was huffing and struggling to conceal the inordinate amount of pain she was experiencing. She felt as if she were an apple that had been placed in a small bag, shaken around, squished, and bruised almost to the point of being unrecognizable. 

Solas barely noticed Eka's troubled expression, as he was busy probing his own mind trying to make sense of what had just happened, replaying every detail of the fight over and over again. He should have died or at least been critically injured, and yet she was suddenly there. He could swear that she had been nowhere near him. How did she do it? He desperately wanted to address the issue but noticed Eka's wavering focus and blank stare and decided to table it until later that night. Besides, he and Dorian needed to help Cassandra, who at this point was so sore that she had trouble walking. She put an arm over each man's shoulder and thanked them for helping to steady her as they started the trek back to camp. Eka followed quietly behind, still lost in thought.


	3. What Happened?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eka deals with her inner struggles while Solas and Dorian try to figure out what happened during the fight. Solas eventually has to confront Eka about it.

Chapter 3: What Happened?  
“I'll gather some firewood,” Eka volunteered as they reached the camp. She didn't really feel like socializing and wanted the time to be alone with her thoughts. Solas knew that something was amiss with Eka but decided to let her be. Instead he asked Dorian to help him assemble the tents while Cassandra began removing her heavy armor. As they worked, Dorian took advantage of the moment to make what he thought was going to be light conversation with Solas. “Did you see what happened back there?” “What do you mean,” replied Solas, not sure if Dorian had witnessed the whole event. “I mean that big ugly demon appeared behind you, and before we got halfway through shouting a warning, Eka was suddenly there, in the blink of an eye. I've never seen anything like it. Did you teach her that move?” “No,” replied Solas. “I do not know what happened back there, but I do intend to find out.” 

“Well when you do, please let me know. I am beginning to wonder if our sweet little Eka has been sneaking off to Alexius in the middle of the night for lessons in time magic,” Dorian stated. Solas said nothing in response but began to think unsettling thoughts about the notion. Alexius was Dorian's instructor after all, and Dorian would likely be the first to pick up on it, especially given that he and Eka were so close. Could she have somehow learned time magic? When and where would she have had the opportunity? The thought was unnerving, as he knew that she and Dorian had experienced first-hand the dangers of tampering with time. Would she be so foolish? In any case, Solas decided that Eka would have to answer his questions regarding what had happened, and they would need ample time and privacy to sort it out. 

Sensing Solas' distress, Dorian desperately wanted to change the subject, even if it incited another argument. “We are only going to set up three tents,” Solas suddenly announced. Dorian bit his bottom lip in delight and looked at Solas, barely able to contain his grin. “Sooo does this mean that you're planning to make love like normal people tonight? You know... without the weird fade stuff?” “Absolutely not,” scoffed Solas, whose sneering eyes immediately shot daggers back in the direction of Dorian's gaze. “It's getting quite late, and Eka has a lot to explain, so it doesn't quite make sense to put up another tent now, does it,” Said Solas irritably. “And I thought you were going to reward her with a night of passion for saving your life, not that you would know much on the subject,” Dorian said, trying to provoke him. 

The elf suddenly walked away from the camp, leaving a puzzled and now worried Dorian to assemble the last tent on his own. The time magic was the focus of Solas' thoughts. No matter how much he pored over the details in his brain, he could not come up with any other likely culprit, and it filled him with dread and agitation. He desperately needed to know, but he was also afraid of the answer. 

As Dorian finished the last tent, his eyes shifted to Eka, who was returning with the firewood, the blank stare still on her face. He suddenly felt bad for his friend. Her impending meeting with Solas would not likely be a pleasant one, and it pained him to see her in any state of discomfort. After all, she was his best friend and had helped him through some of the most turbulent and painful parts of his past. 

From the first day they met, he had taken a liking to her. She was genuinely kind-hearted and accepting, and she didn't seem to care that he was from Tevinter, a country that had destroyed her ancestors and used her people as slaves for more than a millennium. Her brilliant command of magic made her frightening and deadly, but most people would never see this side of her because she never flaunted it. He admired her and loved her in the way that one would love a sibling or a revered hero, and he decided that if Solas ended up hurting her that night, there would be hell to pay. 

When she returned and placed the wood for the fire, Eka noticed that there were only three tents set up. This was a first, and she began to wonder if they had somehow forgotten one of the tents. Surely Solas wouldn't have arranged for them to share their space on purpose. Their affection for each other was no secret to their companions, but they also didn't go out of their way to make it obvious out of respect for everyone else. On any other night, the sight would have excited her and set her heart aflame, but not tonight. Tonight she was in pain, both physical and mental. 

Her gaze strayed back to Cassandra, who was patiently waiting for Eka to finish arranging the wood and light the fire. There was less than thirty minutes of daylight left, and Cassandra had many cuts, bumps, and bruises that needed mending. Eka walked over and grabbed the bag of medicines and passed them to Cassandra with a quiet nod. There was no time to hunt for food, so they had to make do with the rest of the druffalo jerky, mixed vegetables, and apples that they had brought from Skyhold. Eka wasn't really hungry anyways, the invasive thoughts still preoccupying her mind. She grabbed a few carrot sticks and an apple from her bag and sat down quietly across from Cassandra, the warm fire between them. 

As Solas began to rub healing balms over Cassandra's bruised and battered legs and arms, she occasionally shifted in pain, exhaling short grunts under her breath. Cassandra always tried to remain strong in the eyes of her companions and did not want to make Solas the least bit uncomfortable while working on her. The woman's ability to withstand so much physical trauma was mind-blowing, as she had saved their lives on so many occasions. Everybody knew too well the sacrifices she made for them during battles, especially the most recent one, and they all loved and respected her for it. 

It was fortunate that Solas was so proficient with healing magic. Eka had learned how to use healing magic but did not have the sort of precision that Solas possessed resulting from years spent mastering both focus and control. She knew that it would take at least an hour for Solas to finish healing Cassandra, and she opted to quietly spend her time in her head, wondering how she had managed to perform her feat on the battlefield on her first attempt, reworking the moment in her brain until Dorian interrupted. “Is that all you're going to eat tonight?” Eka took one last bite out of her apple and responded with a slow “yes.” The four made small talk for the next thirty minutes or so. Dorian purposely avoided talking about the breach. 

Eka had never used her entire reserve of magical power before and felt as if her energy had been sapped from her. Had she stayed there much longer, her muscles would likely refuse to move. Additionally, she could barely pay attention to the conversation, so she announced her goodnight and then proceeded to her tent unusually early. When Solas had finished tending Cassandra's wounds about thirty minutes later, he added some wood to the fire and stoked it one last time before excusing himself, leaving Cassandra and Dorian to chat. They both wondered about the two elves in the tent but kept their thoughts to themselves, instead opting for a conversation regarding the differences between Orlesian and Tevinter nobility.

“Still awake, vhenan,” Solas questioned as he entered the tent. “Yes, lethallin,” replied Eka as she stared up at Solas, who took off his outer robes and slowly sat down next to her, a concerned look on his face. As Eka sat up to face him, he wrapped his right arm slowly around her back and waist and took a deep breath. “Vhenan, I really need you to tell me what happened back there at the breach. I know that you were too far away from me to fade step, and there were lots of trees between us, yet you suddenly appeared as if,” he stopped himself short, not wanting to give away his thoughts regarding her possible involvement with time magic. 

As he looked at her sternly, she turned away from him, trying to figure out the best way to tell him. She didn't even fully comprehend how she had done it and didn't know how she was going to explain it. Then her mind shifted to that instant when she was frozen in terror at the thought of his imminent death. 

She had been fighting that dreadful sinking feeling all evening with every fiber of her being, and she couldn't do it in any longer. Her eyes began to well up with tears as she succumbed to her feelings. Solas had seen her turn away from him and misinterpreted it as a sign of guilt or deception. Determined to know what had happened, he cupped both of his hands over each side of Eka's face and forced her head around to face him, not expecting to see two bright blue eyes filled to the brim with tears. 

He sat there stunned with his hands still on her face and instantly wished that he had been more gentle. Through all of the trials she had been through, Solas had never once seen her cry. She hadn't cried when she was in excruciating pain from the anchor back when he was trying to figure out a way to keep it from killing her, she hadn't cried when Cassandra accused her of murdering all those people at the conclave and subsequently threatened to kill her, or when they lost so many lives at Haven, or when she and Dorian described the grim and ominous alternate future at Redcliffe. 

“You were going to die,” Eka whimpered softly as the tears began to flow in larger volume. “I saw it from more than fifty yards away and felt the world shatter. I closed my eyes and focused on your exact location, and when I opened them, I was right where I wanted to be. I somehow combined my spirit cloak and fade step together, which allowed me to pass through all of the trees. I had been thinking about the idea for the past few weeks because it might be useful for gaining access to locked doors and high places, but I wasn't sure if it would ever really work outside of my head. I had no idea that I could travel that far and honestly don't know how I did it. I'm not sorry,” she finally cried, believing that Solas was mad at her. She continued to weep, her cold tears running down the length of her face and splattering across the fabric of her nightshirt. 

Solas quickly pulled his tiny inquisitor into his warm embrace and laid her down against his shoulder, her head facing his. As she wept into his chest, he gently wiped away tears with his fingers as he painfully frowned. “Ir abelas, ma vhenan” “I'm so very sorry, my heart,” he shuddered apologetically. His voice quivered. “I was careless and should not have ventured so far from the group. It was all my fault.” As her tears began to subside, Solas felt awful. She had never tried to hide anything from him. Instead she had risked her own life by trying unknown magic in order to save him. He regretted that he had ever doubted her. 

He had taken for granted how much he really meant to her and remembered all too well when Eka was missing and thought to be dead during the fall of Haven. He recalled how horrible he felt as his his heart wrenched in despair, his stomach contorted into knots, and his mind raced looking for answers to questions he couldn't formulate. Cullen had punched him in the face, nearly knocking him unconscious in order to physically restrain him from running blindly out into the snowstorm in a desperate attempt to find her that night. As he remembered the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, it occurred to him that he should have recognized that vacant stare that she had worn. He might as well have been looking into a mirror. 

“Ma'arlath ma vhenan.” “I love you, my heart,” he whispered into her ear as he carefully planted a kiss on her forehead and then her soft lips, still wet and salty from her tears. As she slowly returned his kiss, he shifted his weight and wrapped his leg around her thighs, holding her close. He knew from their experiences in the fade that this was the position in which she felt the most safe and loved. 

Perhaps Dorian was right about taking it to the next level, which he had carefully avoided until now for fear that he might never be able to let go of her. He realized that he was already past the point of no return. It would likely break him if and when he ever had to leave her, and he knew it. He hoped against all odds that it would never come to that, even though deep down he knew the likelihood. 

As Eka went to kiss him, he cupped his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her in closer. His tongue breached her lips and gently grasped hers, and she fervently returned the motion, their tongues dancing together in an elaborate symphony of tastes and desires. Finally out of breath, Solas broke away. He was so hungry and ready to give himself fully to her. He passionately kissed her ears, stopping briefly to suck on her lobes, which sent chills down her spine. As he made his way slowly down her neck, she pulled away. They both wanted what came next, but she was shaken up, exhausted, and her body ached. She looked into his beautiful blue-gray eyes and said, “Please, vhenan. Will you just hold me close tonight?” “Ma nuvenin,” “As you wish,” he responded.

Solas watched her intently, tracing the vallaslin on her face and brushing her short brown hair behind her ears with his hands. He heard a few deep breaths and then nothing as her breathing became shallow and rhythmic, almost as if she had stopped breathing entirely. She looked so tiny and fragile curled up in his arms, that same smile on her face that he had come to adore. It had taken her less than five minutes to fall asleep. She had been completely exhausted and desperately needed to rest. Her brilliant and desperate actions that day had left him awestruck and even more deeply in love with her. He would not seek her in the fade tonight. Instead he would stay awake for the next several hours watching over her as she slept in his protective grasp, an adoring smile on his face. He loved her more than anything else in the world and wanted nothing more than to linger in that moment, holding onto her forever.


	4. Homeward Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the way back to Skyhold, Eka decides to give everybody the night off. She tries to convince Solas to accompany her to the tavern to party with her companions.

Eka woke to the familiar smell of roasted rabbit with garlic, thyme, mushrooms, and wild onions. Solas must have gotten up early, she thought. Everyone loved it when Solas cooked because he knew how to use spices well enough to turn the most bland meals into delicious ones. As she opened the flap of her tent and poked her head out, she was surprised to notice that the sun was already high enough in the sky for it to be almost noon. How did she manage to sleep nearly sixteen hours, she pondered. 

“Good morning, Inquisitor,” Cassandra smiled. “I thought you were going to sleep the entire day away." “Well, I might have, but my hunger and the delicious smell woke me up,” Eka said as she glanced over towards Solas, who was busily crouched over the fire, frying pan still in his hand. “How are you holding up,” Eka inquired. “A little sore but still quite happy to be alive,” responded Cassandra with a short laugh. Eka smiled back and started walking towards Solas.

He didn't notice her approach until she had put her soft hands over his shoulders and started to rub them gently. “Why didn't anyone wake me up,” she said with a perplexed look on her face. “Because, vhenan, you were absolutely exhausted last night, and every so often one needs a full recharge. Besides, the trip back to Skyhold is only half a day's journey,” he said as he placed his free hand over hers. “I believe Dorian would like to speak with you. Lunch should be ready in about fifteen minutes,” he added.

With that, Eka kissed the top of his hand and walked over to help Dorian, who was in the process of disassembling the second tent. “I was kind of worried about you last night. Care to put my mind at ease,” he asked. “After that battle yesterday, I was dealing with some internal issues and just needed to sort myself out," Eka responded vaguely. "You're going to have to do better than that, sweetie,” Dorian answered with a grin. 

"Alright," Eka said. "I walked away from that fight terrified. It wasn't because of anything I did, but rather, it was because I almost lost him, and I felt completely powerless to stop it. To be honest, I've never been so scared in my life. "What about when Corypheus picked you up like a rag doll and threw you into a trebuchet? That seemed pretty scary," Dorian stated. 

"I've been scared many times since I woke up with the anchor, but every time I was injured or in pain, I was able to endure it and move on," Eka replied. "I realized after the snowstorm at Haven that once I accepted death, fear lost its grip over me. I don't want to die, but I've been close enough to dying to know that it is inevitable for us all, and I accept that. I think the worst thing that can happen - the thing that scares me the most is having to watch my closest friends die while being powerless to stop it.

Dorian grabbed Both of her arms excitedly as he said, "But you did do stop it. Combining your fade step and spirit shield was brilliant!" Eka instantly realized that Dorian had spoken to Solas about everything and was quite glad that she didn't have to explain. "It was a blind act of desperation, Dorian. If you asked me to do it now, I probably couldn't," Eka muttered dejectedly. 

"So practice and get better. That spell could become a valuable asset," responded Dorian fervently. "If you allow me, I'll help you work on it when we get back to Skyhold." He then grinned and looked at Eka, adding, "that is, after you take me up on that drink I owe you." Eka put her right arm around his torso in a half hug. "It's a deal. Drinks tonight then work tomorrow." "Try to bring your hobo with you," added Dorian mischievously, earning him a playful slap on the back of his shoulders. 

After lunch, they packed up the rest of their belongings and headed back towards Skyhold. The conversation on the way back was a lot lighter than it had been the previous day. Solas and Dorian didn't argue at all, which was a welcome departure from the norm. Cassandra and Dorian rode up front and continued their talk from the campfire about Orlesian and Tevinter nobility. Eka and Solas participated rather passively, rarely contributing to the conversation until Cassandra involved Solas by asking a question about how he had seen the game played through the fade. 

At some point Eka's mind drifted. She was looking forward to having drinks with Dorian that evening and realized that the other groups that were dispatched would likely be back when they returned to Skyhold. Given that her companions rarely had the opportunity to spend their free time together, Eka decided that they should all have a little party that night. Everyone had been working very hard recently and had earned a night to loosen up; furthermore, a few days off would be nice, if possible. 

"I've decided," Eka stated quite suddenly and assertively, which got everyone's attention. "Since everyone will be home, I'm going to reserve the tavern tonight and we'll all have tomorrow off, assuming we aren't greeted with any crises upon our homecoming." Dorian smiled as he said, "Count me in." Cassandra seconded the motion. Eka looked up to Solas, who responded predictably with, "Not tonight. I need to catch up on some reading." 

Eka frowned and then looked up at him with big blue eyes and her best innocent puppy expression. "Pleeeeaaaaase," she begged, only to be answered with, "I no longer drink and am not a good source of enertainment." "So don't drink," she said. "I'm not much of a drinker myself and could really use the company. Plus I promise to leave you alone with your books all day tomorrow." "What if I do not wish to be left alone," replied Solas with a smirk. "Dorian said he would help me with my fade step combo tomorrow morning, but I can come distract you afterwards," she said happily. Solas looked down at Eka, who was once again making that irresistible puppy face. He shook his head with an amused expression as he said, "Eka Lavellan, you will surly be my undoing. I will accompany you tonight." 


	5. A Night to Remember: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a meeting, then a toast, then challenges are thrown down. Let the games begin!

As Eka was about to open the door to the tavern, she noticed Iron Bull carrying two rather large barrels towards the establishment. "Dare I ask," she said as she held open the door and waited for him to step inside. "It's my special Qunari reserve, boss. I've been saving it for a special occasion," responded Bull with a long chuckle. 

"Looking good, by the way," Bull commented as he saw Eka's attire. She had worn a loose-fitting green short sleeve shirt with a gold-colored cape with long sleeves that latched over her sternum. Her pants were a tight-fitting khaki shade of brown. Bull began setting up the heavy containers as Eka sat down to meet her advisors. 

Most of them were already inside and sitting at a large table comprised of several smaller tables. Eka had decided to change the location of their meeting to accommodate the night's events. "Where is Josephine," asked Eka curiously. "She departed with Vivienne earlier today for a trip to Val Royeaux," Leliana informed her. From the meeting, Eka learned that both Hinterlands expeditions had been successful, the Inquisition had a few new recruits, and there was finally a lull where some catastrophe didn't need their immediate attention. 

Cullen pointed out that their forces were running low on anti-venom and volunteered to head out to the Storm Coast to collect it, but Eka knew that Sera had been wanting to get her hands on some spiders, most likely having to do with her various shenanigans, but she pretended not to know or care. It was decided that Blackwall, Sera, Cole, and Varric would set out on the mission in two days' time while Cullen stayed back to train the new troops. Everybody had earned a day off, and she was going to make sure it happened. 

People started showing up less than thirty minutes after the conclusion of their meeting. It was odd seeing everyone in their everyday clothes. Dorian arrived wearing a flashy blue robe with shiny gold buttons and a gold neck piece, while Cullen wore a tight red button-down shirt that fit snugly enough to showcase his muscles and handsome physique. Varric wore a rust-colored shirt with an open center to accommodate his overflowing garden of chest hair that he never failed to exhibit. Cassandra arrived in a white form-fitting long sleeved shirt with black leather pants. She looked very feminine, and Eka found herself quite surprised at her impressive cleavage. Blackwall reminded Eka of a lumberjack in his flannel shirt, pants, and suspenders, while Bull, Cole, Sera, and Leliana looked pretty much the same as they normally did. Solas was the last to arrive and was dressed in a loose white sweater whose neck opened up to a tighter dark shirt underneath. His shirts hung down over his snug moss-green pants. Solas very quickly noticed Eka staring at him from across the room and returned a smile. 

Once everybody had arrived, Eka announced that a toast was in order and had the bartender pour everybody a glass of Iron Bull's strange alcoholic beverage. "Is this going to kill us," replied Dorian with an unsure gaze into the glass of dark brownish-black liquid. "Nope, but it will put hair on your chest and a roar in your loins," answered Bull. "Bull, you daft tit... Why would I want hair on my chest," Sara blurted out as she looked over at Blackwall, who swirled the drink in its container and said, "I'm more worried that some demonic creature will crawl out of it."

Solas sat down between Bull and Eka and immediately asked the waitress for a glass of water. Bull took notice and commented, "I bring you the finest Qunari reserve, and you're going to drink water? For a toast?!?" "That is my aim, yes," replied Solas. "Shit, are you allergic to alcohol," questioned Sera . "Actually I was quite fond of a good drink as a young man and tasted just about every variety," responded Solas. "It's just one glass. Not like it's going to kill you... I think," Cullen chimed in while looking into its depths. Solas narrowed his eyes and looked at Eka with a sly glance as if to say, "this is all your fault." "Fine. Just one glass," he said as Iron Bull gave him a hearty pat on the back and cheered. 

"You do the honors, Bull," Eka announced. Bull sat pensively for a second before finally clearing his throat. "It's fortunate that we're alive and able to celebrate tonight, because this opportunity may never come again," Bull said, rather seriously. "But what's important IS tonight... Tonight we are here to revel in our victories and celebrate our comraderie. Tonight we are here to drink so much that we make asses of ourselves in ways that we cannot yet imagine. For tonight we drink to friendship. We drink to a good life. And we drink to kicking the shit out of every dragon, demon, or ancient Tevinter magister asshole that thinks it has a chance against us." 

Bull roared triumphantly as he lifted his glass to the sky. "Raise your glasses and be careful of that first sip." With that gesture, everybody noisily bumped glasses and began to chug the potently concentrated beverage. Bull wasn't kidding about that first sip either. Eka, Cassandra, Dorian, and Cullen could be heard choking. The rest of the drink went down easier, and they all finished their glasses and began to talk amongst themselves as waitresses began to refill drinks and set up games of Wicked Grace, Nimble Hazard, and Chess. 

Bull immediately remembered that he had forgotten to tell his companions that the alcohol's effects were delayed. He shrugged as he decided that the night would be more lively if he left that part out. He immediately glanced across the table and found Leliana, who was quietly surveying the tavern. "You," he said loudly as he pointed at her. "Careful with that finger. People have lost lives and limbs for lesser actions," Leliana threatened casually. "Last time we played chess, you took my favorite eye patch. I challenge you to a rematch. I want it back!" "Fair enough, but you owe me a favor if you lose", said Leliana calmly as the two got up and walked away.

"It's quiet yet loud. Awkward silence. Confidence. Thirsty yet not thirsty. Temperatures rising. Rosy cheeks. Flush. Happy," mumbled Cole, who suddenly appeared in front of Varric. The dwarf smirked and responded with, "things will liven up as the night moves on. The awkward part will go away. Would you like to learn how to play Wicked Grace?" Cole didn't answer, as he was busy observing the activities. "Suit yourself, kid" Varric said as he walked off towards Cassandra.

"If I win the game, I want you to write a happy ending for the knight captain in Swords and Shields," Cassandra said to Varric, who replied, "why are you so obsessed with that terrible smut series? I prefer the idea of a tragic ending that results in you repeatedly stabbing the book and throwing it across the room," Varric laughed. "No, you can't hurt her," Cassandra pleaded. "Well I guess you'll have to win so you can stop me," teased Varric. "And if you win," questioned Cassandra. Varric smiled jovially. "If I win, I want you to admit the real reason you dragged me to Haven." "Agreed," said Cassandra. 

Cullen and Blackwall decided to play a game of wicked grace as well; however, they agreed not to have any stakes. Cullen was good at the game and rarely lost, and Blackwall had already gambled away most of his money and clothes in the months prior. At this point, he just wanted the practice against a good player from whom he might learn. 

Dorian, Solas, Eka, and Sera were left at the table. Sera was already acting somewhat inebriated, or so Solas thought, when she challenged him to a game of Nimble Hazard. "I am not aware of the rules," said Solas, "but I am quite confident that if it is a game of wit, I will win easily," he added smugly. Dorian volunteered to help. "Would you like me to explain? I was going to challenge Eka anyways." "I think I will just watch," replied Solas. 

With that, Sera decided to goad him into playing. "Pfft. Mr. elfy know-it-all is afraid of a little challenge. Are you seriously gonna just sit there all night like a bruised tit acting all high and mighty as you look down on us little people?" "Sera, I am not here for your entertainment," scoffed Solas. 

Solas knew that Sera was baiting him and would not leave him to sit quietly at the table, so he finally agreed to the game and asked Dorian to explain the rules. He caught onto things fairly easily and had won his first Wicked Grace game without much effort. Besides, his opponent was Sera, and he was quite confident that there were few things at which she could best him. How bad could it be?

"The rules for Nimble Hazard are as follows," started Dorian. He then gestured to a large circular target similar to a dart board where there was a small red circle inside a blue circle. There were also four yellow circles at the four corners on the outside. "Your goal is hit the red or blue part of that target with a dart. A red hit equals ten points, a blue hit equals five points, and a yellow hit means you lose five points. Twenty-five points will win the round. There are five rounds total, and the first to three is the winner." 

Dorian finally added, "There are consequences. If you lose a round, you will have to drink a full glass, answer a question, or perform a dare. The only limitation is that you cannot be asked to say or do anything that will endanger your life or someone else's. If you lose the game, you will have to perform a dare in addition to that round's punishment." 

Solas immediately wished that he had not committed to the game and began thinking of all of the horrible things that Sera could ask him or make him do. Surly her dares would involve bees in his pants, or snakes in someone's bed, or throwing pies at someone. He didn't want anything to do with her dares. He didn't want to answer her questions or drink either, for that matter. How did he allow himself to get roped into this, he thought as he noticed the warm tingling feeling of the alcohol starting to set in. "Solas, do you understand," inquired Dorian. Upon hearing his name, he nodded and instantly recognized how he had ended up in this position as he cursed his arrogance. 

Eka had never seen Sera play the game, but she guessed that the archer might be naturally good at it. She was a savant with a bow, and Nimble Hazard wasn't too different from archery. Perhaps it would bring them closer together or loosen Solas up a little bit. She grinned to herself but avoided looking at him for fear of the scowl that he might have been aiming back towards her. 


	6. A Night to Remember: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The games are underway. Cassandra and Varric share a moment, and the alcohol begins to take its course.

"Seeker, what's with the suspicious looks? You're watching me like I'm about to run away with the board," complained Varric as he moved a piece. "You keep grinning, and I want to know why," exclaimed Cassandra as she crossed her arms. "Maybe I'm thinking of ways to torture and kill the knight commander," he laughed. "No. Your smile is different," replied Cassandra. "What? A man can't enjoy a good game and a few drinks without worrying about an interrogation," sputtered Varric casually. "You know you're not my prisoner," protested Cassandra. "Just... Nevermind. I don't want to go down that victimization path again. We've obviously both had too much to drink," Cassandra said with a smile. "Yeah obviously. I can tell by the way you just butchered 'victimization'," Varric laughed. 

"She doesn't know she's beautiful. Feminine yet strong. Caring. Soft, Supple breasts. Slight sensitive smile. Is she smiling at me," Cole interrupted. Varric instantly choked on his drink as his face turned bright pink in horror. He didn't want to look at Cassandra after Cole's statement. There was no question as to whether or not she heard it, and Varric was half expecting to be beaten out of his chair as he turned to face her. 

When her gaze met his, her soft smile started to grow and turned into a brief giggle. "I don't know what to say," she said. Though she giggled, he could tell that she was laughing at the situation and not at him. Her cheeks were rosy and pink, but he couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or the alcohol. 

"So um... How about we never speak of this again," Varric suggested as he played nervously with his fingers and glared at Cole. "Alright Mr. Tethras," Cassandra responded. "But for the record, I don't entirely dislike you, either," she added. "Is that an admission of guilt," questioned Varric with a smile. "I'll never admit anything to you," laughed Cassandra, who was now looking at Cole suspiciously, hoping that he would not reveal anything else. 

"You were both nervous, but now you're happy. I helped," Cole chimed in. Varric laughed heartily. "If you say so, kid. I think Blackwall and Cullen might need some help." As Cole disappeared to find more excitement, Varric chuckled again. "How about we finish that game of ours, seeker?" 

"That's 30. What's it gonna be, elfy" laughed Sera, tauntingly. "I guess I will drink," frowned Solas as he proceeded to the table to get another glass. It had been so long since he had consumed alcohol, and given the effect he was feeling from the first drink, Solas knew that he couldn't keep drinking. He needed to win the next round. Dorian had lost his first round as well and raised his glass towards Solas, who unceremoniously returned the gesture. Solas took the first sip slowly and then quickly finished it off. The Qunari drink was strong, but he recalled much stronger and worse-tasting alcohols in the distant past. 

Eka walked over briefly while Dorian was working on his drink. "How are you holding up," she asked, worried that Solas might be angry. She was surprised that it was the opposite. He slowly placed his arms around her back and lightly pinched the side of her waist as he stated in a low voice, "It is hard to complain with such a gorgeous view." Eka instantly blushed and looked around to see Sera poking her tongue out at them. "I'd better get back to my game," she continued. "Dorian is trying his best to make me pay for what I did to him in the last match." "Oh I see," responded Solas with a mischievous grin. 

"So what's with you and Quizzie," Sera asked as Solas returned. He simply smiled and said, "Not for discussion," which made Sera even more curious. The next round was close. Sera and Solas were both tied at fifteen when Sera hit the yellow target, which sent her back down to ten. Solas lucked into two blue marks in a row and won the round. "I guess I'll drink so you're some kind of a challenge to me," Sera laughed as she disappeared to get her drink. He glanced over towards Eka and Dorian. Eka had lost the second round and had already finished her drink, and they both looked like they were having a lot of fun. He smiled and let his mind wander. 

She looked so pretty tonight - that infectious smile that could brighten up the darkest of rooms. The second glass was beginning to hit him hard, and he was really beginning to feel the alcohol's effects. His fine motor skills and speech were still in tact, but it was only a matter of time, and his head was starting to get cloudy, swarming with desirous thoughts. 

His vhenan was completely irresistible, and her lips seemed to beckon to him, so tender and wanting. She was completely oblivious to how much she aroused him. How he wanted to walk up to Eka and sweep her up into his arms and take her to his quarters, or her quarters. He really didn't care at that point. He pictured himself taking off every article of her clothing piece by piece as he laughed, fully knowing that this was the main reason that he had tried to avoid alcohol that evening.

"I guess I'm not surprised that you would be bumping bits with the only other elf here. I mean, she's hot and you're all about elvaan glory, so it makes sense," Sera interrupted. "Once again, not for discussion," reminded Solas with a playful smile. "Ugh, now I have to know. Why do you always make my head hurt," complained Sera. "So I have been told," countered Solas with a chuckle. During the third round, Solas deflected every question that Sera threw at him regarding his relationship, which frustrated her and threw her off of her game enough for Solas to get the win. 

Once again, Sera opted to drink. "Are you sure that is wise," responded Solas, questioning if Sera was capable of handling her third glass. "Worry about yourself," she responded. "I'm probably the only one here who can keep up with Bull." Solas noticed that she barely seemed to respond to her second drink, while he was starting to notice a loss of coordination, especially in that last round of darts. He needed to end this quickly before Sera overtook him.

"You seem to be rather determined tonight," Eka said to Dorian, who responded with, "After that last match, I owe you big time." "I did you a favor," protested Eka. "You two had been looking at each other for weeks, and I simply sped up the process." "Yes, but walking up and saying 'I've been watching you, and I really want to ride the bull' out of nowhere was a bit creepy and upsetting." "You didn't seem very upset the next day," Eka snickered. "You're such a saucy minx. I never would have thought you had it in you," Dorian exclaimed with a laugh as he threw his dart. "By the way, that's my win," he added.

"Hmm.. I guess I'll to go with dare," said Eka, who had decided that two drinks were enough for the night. Dorian suddenly got a devious grin on his face as he said, "I want you to get a piggyback ride from Cullen all the way around the tavern." "You can't be serious," Eka complained. "It seems cruel. I know you've seen the way he looks at me. Secondly, I don't want to do that to Solas." "And that's precisely why you're going to do it," Dorian answered. "I don't care if you have to pull rank on him. I want to see the look on Solas' smug face," he said with a giggle. "Know that I WILL get you back for this," Eka sneered.

Eka immediately walked up to Solas and whispered something into his ear, earning a quizzical look from Sera. All eyes were focused on Eka as she walked to the other side of the tavern and then whispered into Cullen's ear. Cullen immediately laughed, obviously amused, as Eka climbed up the back of his chair and put her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs across his back. As the commander stood up and began to gallop, Eka bounced up and down on his back. She looked like a small child on top of him, and Dorian found himself quite pleased with his little idea. 

Iron Bull and Leliana were the first to look up and start cheering. As the others joined in, the entire tavern erupted in claps and cheers. Dorian laughed out loud as he saw Solas' expression as Cullen first approached them. Solas' mouth was wide open in disbelief, but as he looked closer, Dorian didn't see anger. He saw jealousy that quickly subsided and was overtaken by what could only be described as lust. The reaction was entirely unexpected, and Dorian was quite impressed at the elf's restraint. Eka bowed politely to Cullen and then made her way back to Dorian. 

"Jerk," she said playfully once she was back within earshot. Eka then smiled at Solas, who returned the expression, only he looked as if he was wanted to pounce on her from across the room. His seductive, predatory grin made her somewhat excited, as she began to wonder what was going through his brain and what might happen as the night continued. 

"What did you say to get him to do it so easily, and what did you whisper to Solas," asked Dorian. "That's for me to know and you to find out," Eka teased. Round four was pretty even for the two until Eka pulled away at the end with a red hit to end the round. Both mages were rather tipsy, and Dorian had decided that he was done drinking. "Truth," he announced, not wanting to deal with Eka's retaliation from his last dare. Eka grinned and asked, "What was the most embarrassing moment in your life?"

"Of all the questions you could have asked," Dorian whined. "I was sixteen years old and still developing my chain lightning. I wanted to practice by myself, which was obviously ill-advised. I walked to a nearby farm and decided to try to hit the metal farming equipment in the field. After about thirty minutes, I finally managed to do it, but the lightning jumped further than I could have imagined. What I neglected to notice was that I had been standing in a puddle next to a metal door. I woke up covered in my own urine, and my beautiful hair stood straight up. The walk home was embarrassing enough, but my hair wouldn't go back down. My father was so angry that he shaved my head, which was the worst part of the entire thing. Eka laughed as she said, "You still electrocute yourself, so I guess not much has changed." 

Shortly after Dorian's story, Bull walked towards them victoriously, twirling his favorite eye patch around his finger, which earned a congratulatory remark from Eka. Leliana joined them a few minutes later. Cullen and Blackwall had both left early, and Cole was nowhere to be found. 

Cassandra and Varric were still engaged in the longest game of Wicked Grace in history. They seemed to be doing more talking and drinking than playing, and Iron Bull noticed that at one point they were just staring at each other and not saying or doing anything. He wondered if they were both obliterated with alcohol and questioned if either of them was capable of getting out of their chairs. 

The fourth round was tough for Solas. He couldn't seem to compensate for his sudden loss in precision and missed the entire board on his first two attempts. Sera was up fifteen points. "See, I told you I was fine. You're the one who should be worrying about the nasty things I'm gonna make you do. I hope you like bees," she said as she giggled boisterously. He glared at her and then hit a blue for five points. Sera answered with a red, which won her the round. "What'll it be," she asked. "I will take another drink," he said rather slowly, aware that his speech and balance capabilities were coming undone. As he walked towards his cup, he knew that the third drink was going to ravage him. He needed to finish the fifth round in a hurry.


	7. A Night to Remember: Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are consequences for drinking in excess...

Dorian glanced over towards Solas as he was finishing his third drink and alerted Eka. "Um.. He's already walking funny as it is. I really don't think he can handle that," Dorian commented. Solas still seemed to be in a good mood as he glanced up and smiled towards Eka, who returned a smile and chuckled at the situation. "He seems like he's having fun, but I have a feeling you're right," Eka replied. "He's definitely not going to be standing after that third glass hits in about forty-five minutes," added Bull with a hearty laugh. 

"How about we call it a tie tonight," suggested Dorian, who at that point was more interested in watching Solas than finishing the game. With that, Eka headed over towards Solas while the other three sat down at a nearby table to chat. 

Eka briefly wrapped her right hand around Solas' shoulders and asked if he was ok. "Shurr," he said rather happily, as she backed away to let him finish his game. Sera had finished her third glass before Solas but was barely showing the effects. Her speech was slower and more uncouth than usual, but her coordination and depth perception seemed to be fine. She won the fifth round in around fifteen minutes. "Woo hoo," she shouted with a gloating smile. 

Solas quickly blurted out, "driiink," as he stumbled into Eka, who immediately steadied him and asserted, "Absolutely not, Lethallin. You're not killing yourself with alcohol tonight." "kay... Truuuth," He said, smiling up at Eka, who once again steadied him and then walked over to the table to give them privacy. 

Sera rubbed her hands together and smiled. "You've been messing with my head all night, and I need to know what's going on with you and Quizzie." After hearing this, Solas looked at her with the biggest grin she had ever seen. "So here's my question: Do you love her? And I don't mean just wanting to rub your filthy elfy parts all over her. I mean really love her, where you would die for someone and all that sappy romancy shite." Solas glanced over to Eka and then back at Sera with a smile. "Yesss, I loove her and wo-wouuld do anythingh to keeep her safe," he very proudly slurred. 

Solas shifted his weight from foot to foot in order to stay upright as he listened intently, his head swarming, as this was the moment that he had been dreading all night. Sera smiled and continued, "And now for my dare... and you better thank me for this later or I'll fill your breeches with bees by the end of the week," she giggled. Her voice was almost a whisper when she ordered, "I want you to prove it in front of everybody. Give her the most convincing kiss I've ever seen." Solas didn't even seem phased. He was already completely wasted and didn't care what anybody thought. He had been wanting to kiss her all night, and Sera had just mercifully given him the perfect excuse to do so.

Solas walked with his hands outstretched to steady himself, as if he were in a tightrope act. He nearly tripped as he navigated towards the table. Iron Bull and Leliana noticed his gait and giggled together at the sight. Eka had her back towards him when he tapped her on the shoulder. As she turned her head to face him, he wrapped his arms around her neck and dove in for a kiss. Eka let him lead. It started out slowly, then as he started to introduce tongue, Solas began to lose his balance. As he fell over, he pulled Eka completely off of her chair and down on top of him. 

Bull, Leliana, and Dorian were cheering and whistling, and Varric and Cassandra had joined in from across the tavern. Encouraged by the cheering, Solas rolled on top of a stunned Eka and embraced her once again, hungrily swishing his tongue inside her mouth and entangling it with hers as if they were the only two people in the room. The kiss lasted nearly five minutes and was both sloppy and romantic. When it finally ended, Solas rolled over onto his back and held Eka's hand as he giggled incessantly on the floor for the next five minutes. 

Sera had joined the group at the table and continued to smile at the two. Nobody could have imaged that Solas would put on such a show, and Sera was proud of herself for resisting the urge to follow through with one of her more colorful dare ideas. "It's always the quiet ones," commented Leliana with a grin. 

Eka eventually got up and tried to pull Solas to his feet. He managed to get his legs up briefly but crumbled back to the ground again, pulling Eka down with him. He was completely incapable of walking, and a still tipsy Eka was not able to support him. She sat cross-legged on the floor and held his head in her lap while gently touching his forehead. "Ma'aaarlaaath," "I love you," Solas slurred towards Eka, who just barely understood. "Need a hand, boss," Iron Bull offered. "Please," Eka smiled. With that, Bull picked Solas up and flung his upper torso over his shoulders. Eka and Dorian followed him across the courtyard.

"So do you think he'll remember any of this tomorrow," chuckled Dorian. "I think he'll remember the tavern but not much afterwards," answered Bull. "Dorian, I hope you don't mind starting a little late tomorrow since I'll likely be up several more hours," Eka stated as she gestured towards Solas. "Not a problem," answered Dorian, "but I want you to tell me what you whispered to them tomorrow." 

"Stoppp," complained Solas, as Bull reached the steps towards the main entrance. Bull stopped suddenly, only to hear, "Spinnninng." Eka had been walking behind them and gently grasped one of Solas' hands. "It will be alright," she promised as they continued walking.

Bull got halfway up the stairs when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. "He did not just do what I think he did," Bull frowned. Eka and Dorian were both laughing hysterically and couldn't even respond. Solas had vomited, and it was running all the way down the length of Bull's back and into his pants. 

"I'm glad you two think this is funny," chuckled Bull, who had been in this situation enough to only be slightly bothered. "I'm sorry, Bull," Eka said between chuckles. "I'll make sure to have that washed for you, and I can come to your quarters tomorrow morning if you want me to heat you a warm bath with my spells." "Nah, don't worry about it. Shit happens, and as long as everyone had fun, I'm happy," responded bull, as he approached the entrance.

"You might want to make him drink some water," Bull said as he set down a now unconscious Solas on the couch in his rotunda. "Thanks for your help, Bull. I'll be sure to do that," Eka said thankfully. "You might hear me come back up this way later," Bull added. "Varric and Cassandra were pretty bad off and will likely need to be carried home. I thought they hated each other, but I could swear they were holding hands as we left," he murmured as he headed back towards the tavern. Dorian brought Eka a bucket and a glass of water before heading up to his quarters. 

Solas stirred often and threw up a few more times over the next hour. She held him in her arms and massaged him as he sat in discomfort, complaining about the spinning room. Eka left briefly to make a strong cup of decaffeinated tea comprised of ginger, chamomile, and light elfroot. It was a blend she had made for the people in her clan when they had nausea or morning sickness. She knew he hated tea, but it was the best way she knew to help him. 

When Solas sat up again, she asked him to drink the entire cup. Upon tasting it, he made a disgusted look and grimaced. Eka smiled and kissed his forehead as she whispered, "Please Lethallin. It will make the nausea go away." He looked into her eyes with loving intensity as he smiled and slowly slurred, "Ma' serannas, ma sa'lath," "Thank you, my one love" before finishing the glass and drifting back to sleep. 

Eka was curled up against the back of the couch and lightly caressing him in her arms. She stayed up long enough to make sure that he had stopped stirring. Eka had never seen so peaceful, as he was now deep in sleep and snoring quietly with a smile on his face. She wondered how much Solas would really remember in the morning as her eyelids became overwhelmingly heavy. She had stayed up as long as she could and finally let sleep take her. At some point in the night, Dorian came back to check on them. Eka had fallen asleep with her head pressed between Solas' head and the arm of the sofa. Solas' head and neck were rested on her shoulders, and her arm was draped across his chest. Dorian smiled as he lovingly covered the two sleeping elves with a blanket.


	8. I Did What?!?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solas can't remember everything that happened the night before. Dorian takes advantage of the situation.

Solas was the first to awaken. He had a mild headache, and his head was still cloudy. He also couldn't remember how he had gotten home from the tavern or how Eka had ended up sound asleep next to him. He glanced lovingly at her sleeping figure and gently brushed her hair behind her ears. 

Why was there dried vomit trailed all the way down his shirt and all over Eka's sleeve, he wondered. Then he noticed the bucket and deduced that the vomit was probably his, given the circumstances. It also explained why he woke up hungrier than usual. 

He began to probe his memory for missing pieces as he laid awake, Eka's arm still wrapped loosely around his waist. He had played Nimble Hazard with Sera and drank excessively, then he remembered the pangs of jealousy as Eka rode on Cullen's back. He also remembered his rather intense feelings towards her. No surprise there, given that she was always desirous to him, and alcohol almost always magnified his passions. 

As he scanned further, panic suddenly set in. Oh God. He kissed her in front of everybody and had her pinned on the floor. He could feel his cheeks blushing in embarrassment. What else did he do?!? The last thing he could remember was laying down on the couch with his head spinning, drinking horrible-tasting tea, and gazing into Eka's eyes. Nothing else. There were huge gaps in his memory.

Upon sniffing his shirt, he realized that he desperately needed to bathe and get out of his filthy clothes. As he gently pushed Eka's arm over to her side to get up, she awakened with a yawn. "Good morning, vhenan," greeted Solas with a loving smile. Eka leaned over and hugged him affectionately. "How are you feeling," she asked. 

Solas briefly bit his bottom lip before responding with, "I feel alright, but I do not remember much after kissing you at the tavern." Solas smiled mischievously. "Did you and I...?" It took Eka a few seconds to register what he was asking, then she simply shook her head with a smile. He returned the gesture, glad that they had not engaged in any corporeal activities. Making love together for the first time and not remembering any of it would have been terrible.

Eka filled him in on the rest of the details before scurrying off to get ready. As it turned out, he needed to thank Sera for being merciful during their game and apologize to Bull for throwing up all over him. Though he was embarrassed and not looking forward to the barrage of teasing he would surly receive from his companions, he also didn't regret his actions. He remembered being quite happy, and it was one of the first times that he didn't feel like an outsider.

Dorian looked over the railing from the library and hollered, "Looks like the two lovebirds are awake!" Solas replied with, "And thanks to you, everyone else in the castle is as well. If you are looking for Eka, she left to get ready." Dorian disappeared for a few minutes and then reappeared in Solas' doorway. "Actually, I was looking for you," Dorian exclaimed. 

Solas glanced at Dorian irritatingly as he rolled his eyes and said, "Eka already filled me in with the details of last night." Dorian smiled deviously at the realization that he had just been presented with a golden opportunity. "There's a pretty big detail that she probably skipped," he said coyly. "Did she tell you that she wasn't the only one you kissed last night?" 

Solas looked at him in disbelief. "What?!? No, she said nothing about that," Solas answered rather loudly. "I don't know how to tell you this," Dorian added, "but we found you in the stables making out with Eka's prized hart. You then urinated all over it in front of Eka, Bull, and me, and said that you were claiming it as your mate. When you told us that you were going to spend the night in the stables with your new love, Bull tried to take you home, but you charged at him angrily and tripped, knocking yourself unconscious against his knee." 

Solas' mouth was wide open in disbelief at this point, an expression of pure horror permeating his face. Solas was so disturbed by the comments that he didn't even think to question their validity. Instead he screamed in a shrill voice, "I did what?!?!" loud enough for anybody within earshot to hear. 

Dorian chuckled casually. "I know... I totally didn't have you pegged for the animal-loving type." Solas was now in complete disarray, pacing back and forth across the room in a panic as he stuttered, "But I do not remember... How could I... Why would I... Eka said nothing?" He was completely flustered. 

"Because you embarrassed her," Dorian chided. "Then you said horrible, vulgar things to her in front of everyone. Even after all that, she still took care of you and was up for hours making sure that you were comfortable and safe." Solas buried his face in his hands, still not quite knowing how to react. 

About that time, Eka walked back into the room eating a banana and tossed an apple to Solas. "Why were you just yelling, Solas," she asked innocently. Solas didn't even want to look at her as he answered, "I believe you know, Eka. How could you not tell me," Solas questioned with a frown. "Tell you what? I'm quite confused right now," stated Eka. 

Solas immediately looked over towards Dorian, who was hunched over, no longer able to contain his laughter. Solas scoffed, "I presume that everything you just told me was a lie?" "Not everything," answered Dorian through laughs. "The part about Eka staying up half the night taking care of you was true," he said with a grin. 

"So what just happened," Eka questioned. "Nothing worth your time, vhenan," muttered Solas timidly. Dorian was still doubled over in laughter. "How could you possibly believe that," he howled. Solas was red in the face with embarrassment as he looked at Dorian and stated calmly, "I hate you." 

It was well into the afternoon, and Eka was ready to head out with Dorian to work on her fade step combo. "Are you ready to go," she asked. As Dorian grabbed his pack, Solas interrupted, "I need a quick word with Dorian. He will meet you outside shortly." 

Dorian raised an eyebrow as he looked at Solas. "I suppose I do not need to remind you of the potential dangers when developing new magical talents," Solas lectured. "I would prefer to do this with her myself for safety concerns, but since the two of you already planned it together, know this: If anything happens to her... If she comes back with so much as a scratch, I WILL hold you responsible," Solas threatened. "I'm quite aware of the potential hazards, but thanks for the vote of confidence," Dorian retorted as he left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're still reading all of these, thanks for sticking with me :)


	9. You're Doing it Wrong...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorian and Eka set out to work on Eka's magical talents. There is an accident, and Dorian has to face Solas. The two work together and gain a little bit of respect for each other in the process.

“So what did you whisper to Cullen and Solas last night,” questioned Dorian as they exited Skyhold. “Cullen was pretty easy,” answered Eka. “I promised him that I would buy him a large box of truffles from Val Royeaux.” she said with a giggle. 

“As for Solas,” she continued, “I pretty much told him that it was a dare. I also may have blown gently into his ear and implied that I would make it up to him later that night if he could behave,” she smiled slyly. Dorian smirked as he remarked, “I guess that explains the rapacious look he had. Honestly though, he seems like he would be rather dull in the bedroom. Is that why you never talk about it with me?” 

Eka blushed as she replied quietly, “Well... we've been so busy saving the world lately, plus Solas and I haven't exactly gone all the way yet.” Dorian laughed incredulously as he remarked, “Seriously?!? Not even in the fade? You two have been together at least four or five months now!” 

“We have done plenty in the fade, but I told him that I would prefer to save the most intimate stuff for the real world,” commented Eka. She added, “He was always so hesitant about everything until just recently. It felt like he was going to push it two nights ago, but I was physically exhausted. I likely would have fallen asleep in the middle of it.”

Dorian chuckled loudly at the thought and said sarcastically, “oh no, his poor massive ego. How tragic that he might be knocked down a few pegs.” Eka looked at Dorian and retorted, “Have you looked into a mirror lately? You both have massive egos. In fact, I'm pretty convinced that your egos are the reason that you two get along so poorly,” she scolded. 

Dorian answered smugly, “I look in the mirror every day, thank you. How else would I look so fabulous? Your hobo boyfriend, on the other hand... Does he even own a mirror?” As Eka glared at him, he grinned and said, “I know you're correct, but I simply can't resist teasing him. In all seriousness, we've always had each others' backs when it really counted in combat.”

After about an hour, they finally reached a flat area about halfway down the mountain that was spotted with bushes, yellow wildflowers, and a few pine trees. “This looks like a good place to stop,” announced Eka. “Indeed,” responded Dorian as he stopped to tie up his horse. Since they started pretty late, they only had about three hours to practice before the sun would start setting. 

Eka started small. She would fade step and shadow cloak about five yards at first, through the smaller bushes and flowers. Then she increased the distance to ten yards and then fifteen. She noticed that the further she would fade step, the more unpredictable her spirit cloak duration would be. It was normally about five seconds long, but when used with her fade step, it was anywhere between one second and ten seconds. 

After about an hour of practice, Eka sat down next to Dorian for a quick break. “I need to pass through something solid, like these trees,” she stated as she drank some water. “Please do be careful and don't push yourself too far,” pleaded Dorian. “Your hobo kindly reminded me that I'm responsible for any accidents, no matter how small.” Eka chuckled a bit as she said, “I guess it's good to know that he cares, but honestly, we risk our lives every day and get hurt all the time. He should be used to it by now.” 

Eka stood about five yards away from a large pine tree. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and blinked right through the tree. Dorian cheered and clapped. Eka repeated the action over the next thirty minutes or so and then walked over to Dorian for another break. 

“So how does it work,” asked Dorian. Eka thought about it for a minute and then explained, “I close my eyes and focus on a location, then I move very fast, like flying at an incredibly high speed. If I leave my eyes open, everything goes by in a blur. I'm having issues with controlling the distance and spirit cloak duration, though. The further I go, the less precise I seem to become. I want the two moves to be more synergistic with each other so I can control them better.” 

Dorian nodded and said, “Sorry I can't really help much. I'm all about raw energy and force.” Eka grinned at him. “So dare I ask how many times you have electrocuted yourself?” Dorian's eyes glanced up as he grinned and thought about it before he finally answered, “Honestly, it's been so many times that I can't recall. What I told you in the tavern was the worst experience, but I've done it enough to be almost used to it,” he snickered. 

Eka got up and decided to try for a larger distance, since they only had about an hour left. She was going to try for twenty yards. There was a group of three trees in the middle of her path with two at each end. Dorian watched intently as she disappeared and then reappeared about thirty yards away almost instantly. She smiled as she heard the applause coming from Dorian. “That was fantastic,” he bellowed.

She had succeeded, but she had overshot her target by ten yards. Eka decided to try again in the opposite direction. She focused on the area where she wanted to go and then closed her eyes and disappeared. To Dorian's dismay, she reappeared about fifteen yards away, slamming her face into a pine tree with a loud thud that sent chills down his spine. She then crumpled towards the ground.

Dorian sprinted over to her as fast as possible in hopes that she was alright. She was completely unconscious when he reached her. At first glance, he could see that her nose was broken, and there was blood gushing from two huge gashes across her right eyebrow and forehead. He was horrified at the amount of blood emerging from her nose and eyebrow as he leaned down to check her vitals. Her pulse was still strong and she was breathing – a good sign. 

He sat against the tree and laid Eka upright against his chest so the blood could drain from her nose. He then pulled off his robes and turned them inside out to clean her up. He dabbed her face lightly, afraid that he might inflict further damage. As he held her nervously, wondering if she had some sort of brain damage, he wished that he had known healing magic. 

What if she never wakes up, he thought to himself in a panic. He felt helpless and wished that Solas was there with them. Solas would have known exactly what to do. If she didn't wake up soon, he would have no choice but to carry her back unconscious. He hurriedly and repeatedly called her name as he waited nearly fifteen minutes for her to wake up. 

She finally opened her eyes to see the fearful expression on Dorian's face. “Ugh, that tree really had it out for me,” she said with a smile, trying to ease his nerves. As she smiled, her face contorted in pain. “Don't move,” ordered Dorian, who promptly made her follow his fingers with her eyes and then answer questions to establish that she wasn't brain-damaged. She was in a lot of pain and a little disoriented, but she knew the more important information – her name, the day, why they were halfway down the mountain. 

“I can only imagine what I look like right now,” she commented as she reached her hands to her face. Eka could feel that her skull was fractured above her right eyebrow, and she wasn't sure about her nose because it hurt so badly that she refused to touch it. Dorian still had a troubled look on his face as he answered, “You have a broken nose, both of your eyes are bright purple, and the gashes on your face are covered in blood. We should get you back as soon as possible.” 

Dorian helped her to her red hart and then put his blood-covered robe back on as he mounted up. “I need you to keep talking with me all the way home,” Dorian requested. Eka chuckled gently and replied, “It could be worse. I could have come out here alone and woken up in my own urine and had to walk home with my hair standing up.” Dorian was in no mood to laugh and responded quite joylessly, “or you could have been eaten by wolves.” “Please try not to worry too much,” Eka requested. “It hurts, but all of my brain functioning seems in tact.”

They were halfway home when Dorian said nervously, “So what do you think Solas will do to me when I bring you back in that condition?” Dorian noticed that Eka's speech was a little slower than usual as she said, “It was my fault. He can't possibly blame this on you. It's not like you can control my magic or the risks I take.” 

“I'm pretty sure he will try to kill me, especially after what he told me earlier,” Dorian responded. “You really should be more careful, Eka. You push yourself too hard sometimes,” he added.

After another twenty minutes, Dorian noticed that Eka had stopped talking. “Are you alright,” he asked as he rode next to her. She was staring blankly forward and swaying mildly as she said, “No.” Her headache was worse, she was dizzy, extremely tired, and her vision was getting blurry. “Something is wrong. We need to get back immediately,” she slurred. 

Dorian was filled with dread. “Please keep talking. We will be there shortly,” he encouraged. She kept talking, but the more she spoke, the less sense she began to make. Dorian could tell that she was in danger and really started to worry again. 

They approached the gates and rode straight to the front steps of Skyhold. Eka was barely conscious when Dorian lifted her off of her mount and ran up the stairs with her in his arms. Solas almost jumped out of his chair when he heard Dorian scream his name as the door to his study was flung open. Dorian set her down on the couch in front of an alarmed Solas, who took one look at her battered face and screamed, “What did you do?!?”

At this point Dorian was almost hysterical as he spoke hurriedly, “She hit a tree, but she was fine when we left. This just began ten or fifteen minutes ago. She started slurring her words and said there was something wrong.” As Solas looked into Eka's eyes, he noticed that they were moving erratically and barely responsive to stimuli. She recognized him and gently squeezed his hand. “Sol..” was all she got out as she closed her eyes and started to drift into unconsciousness. 

“VHENAN, you need to stay with us,” Solas yelled, jolting her awake once more. “Please let me hear your lovely voice,” he pleaded as tears began streaming down his face. Eka very quietly started muttering nonsensical words. Solas turned to Dorian and said sternly, “I need you to hold her steady and upright. DO NOT let her go to sleep! Her skull is fractured, and she has a massive concussion,” Solas exclaimed through terror-stricken, teary eyes. 

“But you can fix this, right, and she'll wake up normal tomorrow? She was just talking to me as if everything was fine,” Dorian whimpered. “I do not know,” Solas muttered, not wanting to reveal the full gravity of the situation, “But I need you to do everything you can to keep her steady, awake, and speaking for as long as possible.” 

As Solas healed her, Dorian held her up and kept her talking for nearly an hour. He sang to her and even prayed out loud, which was a huge surprise for Solas. Finally she lost consciousness, and Dorian began to panic again. “It's alright,” Solas responded quietly. “I am almost done healing the cause of the concussion. We will just have to hope that she is alright when she wakes up.” 

Lacerations and minor bruises were child's play compared to fixing broken bones. Bones took hours to repair, and about six hours in, Dorian apologized to Solas. “You should have been with her instead of me. I couldn't do anything when she knocked herself out on that tree. I should have made her slow down...” Dorian trailed off. Solas sighed and shook his head. “This is just as much my fault as it is yours,” he replied dejectedly. “I know that she pushes herself too hard, and I know that you are useless as a healer, yet I allowed her to leave.”

Both Solas and Dorian adored Eka and were still quite worried. As much as the two argued with each other, they always worked well together when it really mattered. “What ever will we do with her,” Dorian stated affectionately as he brushed her hair back behind her ears. “Solas smiled gently and replied, “I do not know what you will do, but I have already accepted that she will be my undoing. Perhaps you should do the same.” 

Dorian cringed at the loud pop when Solas set her broken nose. That was by far one of the worst noises he had ever heard, and the sound resonated in his ears throughout the night. Solas worked on Eka for nearly twelve hours straight, only stopping once for a bathroom and water break. Dorian stayed by his side as his assistant throughout the duration, handing him various medicines, cloths, and other tools. 

When they had finished, she still had two black eyes, but the gashes in her head were sealed, her nose was realigned, and her fractured skull was mended. Solas bent down and kissed her forehead before carrying her to her bed. Dorian quietly followed. 

They were both exhausted, but neither of the men wanted to leave her side. “I'll take the first watch if you want to rest and seek her out in the fade,” Dorian volunteered. “Thank you. Please wake me in three hours,” Solas responded as he crawled into bed next to Eka and drifted to sleep.

She was always easy to find because her spirit was like a shining beacon of light – always brighter than all of the others. When he approached, Solas noticed that she was sitting next to a large lake surrounded by trees, staring at her reflection. 

“Vhenan,” he whispered as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him inquisitively with her beautiful bright blue eyes and replied, “I am quite confused. There is no wind here, yet the water is rippling and distorting my reflection. I can't see my face.” 

This slightly worried Solas, who sat down next to her and questioned, “Do you know who I am, ma vhenan?” Eka smiled and replied, “Solas, emma lath (my love), how could I ever forget you?” He smiled lovingly as she reached over and took his hand in hers and kissed it. She commented, “I don't feel normal. Something is different... wrong, but I can't seem to figure it out. My head is foggy.”

“What do you remember,” Solas asked as he lightly rubbed her back, trying to jog her memory and ascertain her mental state. “I remember waking up next to you this morning and being quite happy,” she said with a grin. “Then I was outside with Dorian. Then I was back on my red hart and heading home.” 

He kissed her gently on the forehead and then asked, “Do you remember anything else, perhaps an accident?” “No,” she replied, “But I do remember trying to make Dorian laugh on the way back to Skyhold and failing. He was really worried about something and kept asking me to talk to him for some reason.”

“Think back to before that, vhenan. Do you remember why he was worried?” She considered the question for a minute before responding, “Hmm... Dorian said something about you killing him when we came back. Are you two fighting again?” Solas chuckled briefly as he said, “Not any more than usual.” 

“Wait, that part was later,” she interjected. “I remember opening my eyes, and I was in his lap looking up at his face – that same worried look. I said something about a tree having it out for... Wait. THE TREE! That's right! I hit my head on a tree,” she exclaimed excitedly.”

“Well done, vhenan,” praised Solas, as he elaborated, “Dorian carried you inside, but you were beat up and barely responsive. You had a massive concussion, and the two of us just spent the last twelve hours healing you.” 

Eka looked into Solas' eyes with an expression of deep concern as she asked, “Is there something horribly wrong with me? Is that why you're here?” Solas embraced her affectionately as he answered, “I believe you will be fine, vhenan. You were able to recall much of what happened, which is a good sign that you do not have brain damage.” 

Solas kissed her lips briefly, then got up and pulled her to her feet. They walked hand in hand along the water conversing about the events of the day until Solas was awakened by Dorian. 

Dorian was wide-eyed and anxious as Solas shrugged off the last remnants of sleep. “Did you see her? Was she alright,” Dorian pleaded. Solas looked up at him and immediately grinned as he responded, “I believe she will be just fine.” 

Dorian let out a long sigh of relief and then curled up at the foot of the bed. He was exhausted and fell asleep almost instantly. Solas traced Eka's valloslin and lightly combed his fingers through her hair. Though he didn't always get along with Dorian, Solas was glad that Eka had him as a friend. Despite his eccentric personality, he was quite loyal and truly cared for her, he decided. 

Eka woke up a few hours later to their smiling faces. “I knew you two would eventually find some common ground,” she grinned slyly. Dorian chuckled as he responded, “And you missed all of the excitement, Eka! We got naked together and held hands in the forest, and Solas showed me the secret dances to make trees and flowers grow. It was delightful.” 

Solas said nothing but arched one of his brows as he looked at Dorian perplexedly. “I love you two so much,” Eka declared contentedly as she reached for Solas' hand. She really did love them, each in their own way, and she realized that she would do almost anything for either of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be my last entry for a while. My computer crashed, and I'm using someone else's :(


End file.
